Great quote from a very wise and successful man, who has seen this play out in many different ways over many years!

The questions I get asked most frequently when working with people on their brand marketing and social marketing strategy are, “How do I build a following and build my reputation?” and, “How do I get people to comment and re-tweet?”

I have been a student of the social space and platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for about awhile now. I observe and pay attention to the people that have large followings and influence for the right reasons.

There are people who have huge fans and followers, but they are not authentic to me and I have no interest in their “shtick.” I wish ’em well, just don’t want them cluttering up my stream.

The social media mentors I respect come from different arenas and all kind of say the same thing: Be authentic and real, create useful content, be consistent, engage in the conversation, and give more than you ask. This was easy for me to embrace, as my personality and personal philosophy aligned very well with this.

So, spring of 2009, I dove off the board into the social media playground pool! I have always loved the park, pool and playground, so this was fun for me. Here I am, years later and I am still a student, but I’ve gone from junior high to high school! I loved high school, too. Did you?

How To Build Your Brand Reputation Online

Want to build your brand reputation? Here are some of my insights and some of the things I have learned that have helped me make amazing connections, grow my reach and business, and have a whole lot of fun sharing ideas and learning from others:

1. Be Yourself

The social media world is one dimensional, but you can make yourself multi-dimensional. Writing for social media sites is very different than writing a “term paper.” Take a more personal approach to writing. Write how you converse. Practice and study other successful bloggers and web writers.

2. Be More Interested In Others Than In Yourself

Let people know you care about them, their issues and challenges. “Here’s what I can do to help…” is a powerful connector. Sharing, serving and giving good, useful and pertinent information to help them solve problems goes a long way.

3. Give People Glimpses Of Your Personal World

Getting to know each other on many levels is what builds the foundation for personal relationships. Letting people know what you do, stand for, and believe in is certainly important, but what foods you like, favorite places you’ve traveled to, and books you recommend can really give people a well-rounded glimpse of you and your world. Careful about what and how much you share, though. Remember, how viral the Web is and that you can’t delete or erase it!

4. Get To Know Your Followers

OK, so you have 1,000s of friends and followers! Do you know anything about them? What matters to them? Survey them for their demographics and psychographics. Get to know what they need from you and let them know how they can help you. This is “social, mutual” media right?

5. Collaborate And Hook People Up

I have found this to be one of my most effective was to build trust. I connect and hook people up regularly. I simply introduce people via e-mail introduction, state the synergy I sense, and let them take it from there! Try it, it works!

6. Temper Your Humor And Anger

Hey, I love a great joke and some edgy language, but I don’t need anything really off color or any profanity to get my attention. Careful here. Remember, you can’t delete or erase this. One click and it’s on the Web for what could be a very long and tedious time.

7. Be Consistent And Show Up

Be a kid in the playground. Show up, get to know the other kids, let them know what position you play best to help the team, acknowledge when others make a great play, and play your heart out when you get picked to play!

8. Give And Receive

Lot’s of people are comfortable with giving to others but not allowing others to give to them. This is one area I have really improved on. When people ask me how they can help me, and I know they are coming from a genuine place, I accept their invitation and allow them the pleasure of giving and me receiving. Try it!

9. Provide Solutions, Options, And Answers That Have Worked

The rule with social media (which is kind of unspoken) is 4 to 1. Four posts or tweets where you give and provide information that provides solutions to problems or challenges and one promoting yourself. Sell, sell, sell is a sure way to get hidden, un-followed or un-friended.

10. Spread Hope And Positivity

We all benefit from others sharing their successes, silent heroes, triumphs and lessons, especially now. Do share yours and others that you have found!

Deborah ShaneDeborah started out as a rockin’ singer/published songwriter, teacher and award-winning broadcast radio sales professional then transitioned in 2007 out of corporate America and launched DeborahShaneToolBox. Her diverse career background combines entertainment, education, sales and media. She has performed on stage, taught in front of a classroom and won awards for her broadcast radio sales professionalism and small business content marketing.